Reilly Tar Chemical Corp Indianapolis Plant

⚠ Superfund · Ready for anticipated reuse

In 2021, EPA signed an amendment (pdf) ( 4.78MB) to the Operable Unit 1 (OU1) Record of Decision at the Reilly Tar site. The original 1992 Record of Decision (pdf) (3.6MB) , or ROD, addresses groundwater contaminated with benzene, pyridines and ammonia from operations at the site. This amendment updates the cleanup plan for these contaminants.

Location

CityIndianapolis
CountyMarion County
StateIndiana
Coordinates39.74028, -86.21833

Contaminants of concern

Contaminated media

Cleanup timeline

  1. Initial Assessment Completed — 08/01/1982
  2. Proposed to the National Priorities List — 09/08/1983
  3. Finalized on the National Priorities List — 09/21/1984
  4. Remedial Investigation Started — 03/30/1984
  5. Remedy Selected — 06/30/1992
  6. Final Remedy Selected — 06/30/1997
  7. Remedial Action Started — 09/30/1994
  8. Final Remedial Action Started — 05/05/2025
  9. Construction Completed — 12/16/1999
  10. Deleted from National Priorities List — Not Yet Achieved

EPA references

Other Superfund sites in Marion County

EPA-regulated facilities nearby

Understanding this Superfund site

Reilly Tar Chemical Corp Indianapolis Plant is a federal Superfund site in Indiana. The Superfund program, created by Congress in 1980, addresses sites where hazardous substances have been released or threaten release into the environment. EPA scores potential sites using the Hazard Ranking System; those that score high enough are placed on the National Priorities List.

Current status: Ready for anticipated reuse. EPA considers this site ready for anticipated reuse, meaning cleanup has progressed enough for certain land uses. This does not necessarily mean all contamination has been removed — institutional controls like deed restrictions may limit how the land can be used.

EPA has identified 10 contaminants of concern at this site, including 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methylnaphthalene. Contamination has been detected in soil, groundwater, sludge.

If you live near this site and have health concerns, your state health department can provide site-specific guidance. EPA maintains a community involvement program for most NPL sites, and site documents — including the Record of Decision, five-year reviews, and public health assessments — are typically available through EPA's Superfund site profile.